Falklands : Legislative Assembly Question for Written Answer (02/09)
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 10.01.2009 (Article Archived on 24.01.2009)

The first written answer Question that was presented to the media for the Legislative Assembly.

Legislative Assembly

 Question for Written Answer

QUESTION NUMBER 02/08 BY THE HONOURABLE JOHN BIRMINGHAM

Following on from question Number 18 of 2008 ("Can the Honourable Janet Robertson confirm that the number of medical consultants visiting the Islands in this financial year is equal to previous years and that those consultants who normally make more than one visit will continue to do so") asked in Legislative Council on 14 November 2008 and the subsequent reply, can the Honourable Janet Robertson please advise if the number of consultant working days in the Islands has been reduced and if so, the reason for such a decision.

ANSWER

The following are lists of visiting specialists:

Between 1^st July 2007 and 30^th June 2008:

Consultant Psychiatrist – 1 week x 2

ENT Consultant – 2 weeks x 1

Audiologist – 2 weeks x 1

Surgical Advisor – 1 week x 1

Orthopaedic Consultant – 1 week x 1

Gynaecology Consultant – 1 week x 2

Opticians – 4 weeks x 1

Engineering Specialists – 3 visits

Between 1^st July 2008 and 30^th June 2009:

Gynaecology Consultant – 1 week x 1

ENT Consultant – 1 week x 1

Audiologist – 2 weeks x 1

Opticians – 4 weeks x 2

Consultant Psychiatrist – 1 week x 2

Oral Surgeon – 2 weeks x 1

Orthopaedic Consultant – 1 week x 1

Surgical Specialist – 1 week x 1

Dental Advisor – in negotiation

Ophthalmologist – in negotiation

Engineering Specialists – in negotiation.

As indicated in the lists the number of weeks that visiting specialists are here this year outnumbers last year.

Specialist Visits will need to be reviewed annually so that different specialist needs are accommodated. What may have been considered the norm in previous years may have to be adjusted to accommodate for other specialists who may not have visited the islands for some time.

As per the agreed contract, there will be two visits by the Optician in the current financial year. The contract only commenced late in 2007 and there had been a considerable gap since the previous optician's visit giving rise to only one visit during the last financial year.

Each year the requirement for specialist needs are assessed and prioritized according to need and budget.  Consideration is also given to the capacity for KEMH to fit the visiting specialists into the year without disruption to the normal routines of the hospital. The visits require considerable organisation, staff, theatre time, and equipment. Many specialists prefer or are only able to visit during our summer months which also adds to the challenge of hosting the visits. 

The recently approved visit of a mammography unit is also being organized and facilitated by KEMH.

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